A FEW hundred plant species facing the threat of extinction indicates a declining biodiversity and a lack of commitment to saving the plants and their habitats. The forest department has identified 395 species as vulnerable, 271 species as minimally threatened and 256 species lacking sufficient data from a red list of 1,000 plant species. Among the 395 vulnerable plants, seven have been identified as regionally extinct, five critically endangered, 127 endangered, 263 nearly threatened and 70 threatened. The 鈥楻ed List of Plants of Bangladesh鈥� report was unveiled on November 11. The seven regionally extinct species are Magnolia griffithii, Memecylon ovatum, Archidendron jiringa, Myrica nagi Thunb, Syzygium thumri, Syzygium venustum and Drypetes venusta. In May 2023, a National Herbarium and forest department study identified 394 plant species to be at varying degrees of extinction. The study was conducted over three years from August 2020 and examined 1,000 plants. Biodiversity experts consider the extinction threat a rupture in the ecosystem and blame the government for its ecologically insensitive plans. The introduction of aggressive foreign plants such as rubber or segun has also disrupted indigenous ecosystems. Projects such as social forestry and eco-tourism have contributed to deforestation and plant extinction.
The declining biodiversity suggests that the government is far behind in achieving the sustainable development goal on the protection of endangered species. The list of endangered plants is prepared with the hope that the government would take the list seriously and make an informed policy on protecting plant biodiversity. The environment and forest adviser, who unveiled the report, said that the list would help the government to report on the Convention on Biological Diversity and protect endangered plants. Green activists, however, are uncertain of the government鈥檚 commitment to biodiversity and environmental issues. The plant species face a threat of extinction largely because of the forest destruction. Over the years, thousands of hectares of forest land have been handed over to or illegally grabbed by public agencies and private entities. According to an environment and forest ministry estimate, about 1.6 lakh acres of forest land have been handed over to, or used by, government agencies for development projects. Added to this are many environmentally hazardous projects and industries on or adjacent to forests. The setting of a number of highly critical projects near the Sunderbans, the world鈥檚 largest contiguous stretch of mangrove forest, rubber plantations and coastal shrimp cultivation are cases in point.
The government needs to realise that only listing the endangered and vulnerable plants is not enough. It is time to act. There are a number of policies and laws, including the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, that oblige the government to prevent plant extinction and secure biodiversity. The authorities should, therefore, take effective programmes, in line with the Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act 2010, to conserve biological diversity with an emphasis on ecologically critical areas.
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